Following a fractured femur on March 30, 2022, Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller overcame all odds to get to this point.
Tonight is all about Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller.
The NHL Awards will take place tonight at 5PM PT in Nashville, Tennessee and Keller, who was nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, will have an opportunity to make history.
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to an NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the sport of hockey.
Keller certainly represents all these qualities. The 24-year-old faced a potential career altering injury when he suffered a fractured femur on March 30, 2022. He was put to the test last summer as he battled to make a full recovery in preparation for the 2022-23 season.
Ultimately Keller did make a full recovery and had his best year tallying a career high 37 goals, 49 assists and 86 points. He is grateful just to be at this point after all the uncertainty going into the season following his gruesome injury.
"It means a lot," Keller said via Coyotes team reporter Patrick Brown. "I didn't know what to expect coming into the year, how my leg would feel, and things like that, so it's great to be here. So many people have made sacrifices for me to be at this point and get to where I'm at, and I'm super thankful for that."
Kris Letang has also been nominated for the Bill Masterton Trophy as he dealt with the loss of his father and suffered a stroke in the middle of the season but still managed to recover and make a return to the ice just 12 days after the stroke.
The third finalist for the award is Chicago Blackhawks goalie Alex Stalock who was diagnosed with myocarditis during the 2019-20 campaign and only played one game until this past year where he started 24 games for Chicago.
"It's great - it's two guys that overcame a lot of adversity, and ultimately came out on top, played hard, finished strong, and had great years," Keller said. "It's two great guys, and it's awesome to be up there with them."
No matter what happens at the NHL Awards, Keller worked extremely hard to reach this point and this is just the start in what should be an amazing career.
"Any time you're up for an award, or anything like that, it shows how much work you put in and all the sacrifices you make, so it's great to be here," Keller said. "I'm super thankful."